


Primary Pilot

by AceAsADHD



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Gen, set in the movie verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-03-03
Packaged: 2018-09-28 01:41:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10062509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceAsADHD/pseuds/AceAsADHD
Summary: Jeff has an announcement, and Alan is worried about what Gordon's reaction will be.





	

**Author's Note:**

> been having trouble sleeping recently so this idea came to me at 2 am so I ran with it

Jeff has an announcement, and Alan is worried about what Gordon's reaction will be.

 

Alan tapped his chair nervously while glancing at the door. He was sitting in front of Jeff's desk who was looking at some paperwork.

“You don't have to be here Alan,” Jeff looked up.

Alan whipped his head back, “no, no, I want to, I want to be here.” 

It had been two years since the Hood caused the Tracy's a whole lot of trouble. In that time Alan worked hard on his studies, both at school and on the Thunderbirds. He trained with every Thunderbird for every type of rescue. Dad talked to him yesterday about taking over the reigns of 3 which Alan immediately agreed to. Except there was one thing standing in his way.

Jeff smiled the knowing smile of a parent, “this meeting was supposed to start five minutes ago which means Gordon will be here in two more minutes.”

Alan chuckled, grateful for the distraction. Gordon could respond to an alarm with efficiency; either the emergency alert or his 5 am training alarm but try to get him anywhere on time any other way was like pulling teeth. Gordon’s internal clock ticks with the tides, and there was no getting around it. The family was constantly telling him earlier times so Gordon would be ‘late’ but on time.

“Hey Dad, Alan,” Gordon entered and sat down on the chair next to Alan, “so what's up?”

“Gordon, as you know Alan here has finished up all his training on Thunderbird 3,” Jeff got right into business mode, “even completing his first solo supply run without any issues.”

Gordon grinned at Alan and lightly punch his arm. Alan smiled back. Everyone on the island knew about his first solo supply run. There were no other rescues, so everyone found excuses to be in the command room while it was happening.

“So,” Jeff continued, “I think this prompts a reshuffle in the roster rotations.”

All of Alan's nerves returned, this was the part that Alan didn't know how Gordon would react.

“A reshuffle?” Gordon sat forward on his chair.

“Now I think he can handle himself in the pilot seat for supply runs and when a rescue comes up, I can accompany him. Got to keep my foot in the door somehow, now I'm semi-retired.”

Gordon put his hands on the sides of the chair and was poised on the edge of his seat like he was ready to run, “and that means?”

Oh, Gordon was going to hate him, this was the moment Alan had been dredging.

“It means I'm shifting you out of Thunderbird 3’s rotation and placing you, officially, as primary pilot of Thunderbird 4.”

Gordon was as still as a stone, “I'm going to become 4’s primary?”

They all knew how to pilot Thunderbird 4, but it was rarely anyone, but Gordon in the pilot’s chair. Technically Gordon was 3’s primary then Scott so 4 doesn't have a permanent pilot.

No one else wants it. Alan heard a memory of John's voice. Alan once asked John if he was happy up in 5 and why he just accepted long shifts in the station.

No one else wants it. It came out as a fact; water was wet, grass was green, e =mc2 and no one else wanted to stay up in 5 like John did. They all did shifts when needed, but only John lived there like a second home. Alan wondered if it was the same for Gordon, that he would be happy to live at the bottom of the ocean.

“More of a formality at this point,” Jeff's voice brought Alan out of his memory.

“Yes!” Gordon jumped up and punched the air. He the leant over Jeff's desk, “seriously?”

Jeff chuckled, “I wouldn't be saying it if I wasn't.”

Gordon jumped up again and turned his brightest grin on Alan, “dude this is awesome.”

Alan was confused, “you’re not mad that I'm replacing you?”

“Mad? Dude,” Gordon slapped Alan's shoulder, “I've been trying to get out of Thunderbird 3 since I started training. I mean, piloting 3 is being in a tin can, strapped to a nuclear bomb, and hoping it doesn’t explode before it gets you into orbit.”

“Hey,” Jeff objected, “you still have two weeks left of your current rotation.”

“Gordon, SSTO rockets don’t work like that and the ion engines in 3…” Alan stopped himself when he realised he said at the same time.

Gordon laughed, “In two weeks I’m going to info dump all the specs about that rocket out of my brain like Virgil dumps my POD into the ocean so don’t bother.”

Alan looked over at Jeff who noticed and tried to hide a smile behind his hand. At that moment Alan realised that Jeff knew this was how Gordon was going to react but didn’t share that with Alan. 

“Of course I have other duties for you,” Jeff tried to sound serious again but failed, “you'll be able to assist Virgil with maintaining and operating the POD vehicles, even joining him on missions more often.”

“Assistant POD master and Thunderbird 4’s primary pilot all on the same day,” Gordon pinched himself, “ouch, man it's not a dream.”

“We’ll discuss it more when Virgil gets back,” Jeff stood up, “so this meeting is over.”

Gordon pulled on Alan's sleeve then almost ran out the door, “come on, we have to go tell her.”

“Tell who?” Alan chased after him.

“Thunderbird 4!”

~~~

“Hey,” Alan walked beside Gordon towards the hangers, “are you sure you’re not mad?”

Gordon stopped which made Alan turn to face him. Alan expected a joke or a wisecrack but not the serious look on Gordon's face. Gordon took a deep breath, “Alan, Dad made the Thunderbirds for us. He designed them with us and our personalities in mind and put us into his work.”

Alan glanced over to the side.

“Yes Alan, even Thunderbird 3. It may look like Dad’s, but he built it for you.”

“So you’re not mad because it was meant for me anyway.” Alan nodded

“You don't get it,” Gordon spoke softly, “you will but not now.”

Alan shot him a look of annoyance, “don’t get what?”

“One day Alan, you’re going to pilot 3; and in a supply run or a rescue or a flight test for something Brains want to try, there you’ll feel it.” Gordon looked Alan dead in the eyes, “that feeling like, how have you possibly ever survived this long without her. When 3 becomes an extension of your being you won't even have to look at your readouts to know what's going on. She'll feel like putting on a comfortable t-shirt every time you pilot her.”

Gordon grabbed Alan’s shoulder and pulled him in close, “at that moment, you’ll get it. You’ll understand that you were never replacing me, I was just warming your seat.”

Alan shared Gordon’s breath as the moment sat between them. Gordon was the first to break away; he patted Alan’s arm the started moving. They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the hanger doors.

“So Gordon, all that stuff you said?” 

Gordon smiled back, “Yeah?”

Alan grinned, “Virgil told you all that right?”

“Hey,” Gordon protested, “can’t I be a soft, sensitive guy every now and again.”

“So that's a yes then,” Alan smiled.

“Well, I remembered it so I should get some credit.” Gordon huffed.

~a few months later~

Alan was reading outputs and flipping switches in preparation for launch. Just the monthly supply run up to Thunderbird 5 so he was flying solo. Calling his movement to Dad in the command centre Alan felt something. It was like he had become hyper aware of his surroundings yet super focused on the flight preparations.

Alan gasped when it hit him.

“Thunderbird 3 come in.” Jeff's voice came through the comms, “Alan are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm okay,” Alan slowly exhaled, “Dad? Is Gordon there?”

The was a shuffling sound then Gordon came through, “Hey Bro, I'm here.”

“Gordon,” Alan relaxed, “thanks for keeping my seat warm.”

Gordon's laughter rang like bells, “God’s speed Alan.”

“FAB,” Alan flipped the last switch, “Thunderbird 3 launch in 5…”


End file.
